Herb Carlson: SCORE business counselors put high priority on confidentiality

October 24, 2012|Herb Carlson - Tip of the Mitt SCORE Columnist

One of the greatest benefits of SCORE is the knowledge that every word conveyed between client and counselor is guarded jealously.

In the business environment of today, it is almost impossible to find someone who can be trusted to guard information between two people. Businesspeople need to find a secure sounding board to share their dreams and concerns, one that will not betray their confidence.

That trust is a big part of the benefit gained from SCORE by all those who seek help.

For SCORE clients, sharing feelings and speaking of dreams can be difficult. SCORE clients can trust their SCORE counselor, and they do. Central to that trust is the assurance that the SCORE counselor will not tell others about what they (the client and counselor) said and do together. That pledge helps build trust and creates a safe place where the SCORE client can reveal his or her issues. The client may bring up business problems that they probably wouldn't even discuss with close family or friends, since their financial problems or financial records are too personal.

Every SCORE counseling session begins with these words: "I want to assure you that I will keep everything that we talk about confidential." SCORE counselors do not take these words lightly.

Every SCORE counselor must sign an affidavit of confidentiality. All communication between SCORE counselors and SCORE clients, all observations or impressions that SCORE counselors gather about their clients, and all records about clients must remain confidential -- unless the client gives the counselor his or her permission to share that information with others.

SCORE counselors understand the importance of confidentiality because they all were business owners and managers at one time or another. Clients come to rely on SCORE the same as they would their doctor or attorney. SCORE and trust are synonymous, they go hand in hand.

If you wish, SCORE will meet you wherever you prefer. SCORE is trusted, and its business counseling is a free service.

Herb Carlson is chairman of SCORE's Tip of the Mitt chapter. He has a background as a business owner as well as in engineering, and is a former mayor of Petoskey. The "Scoring in Business" columns provided by local SCORE counselors appear the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month on the Business page. The SCORE chapter can be emailed at tipofthemittscore@gmail.com. Mail can be sent in care of the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce, 401 E. Mitchell St., Petoskey, Mich. 49770.